Previously...
Ma Xiang Yun
I didn't think that to make me appear,
you would direct your maid
to make a scene
and act so shamelessly here.
Such disgraceful conduct
is a first,
even for you.
What's the matter, seeing me not dead
How dare you Concubine Di!
Not kneel
before the Empress!
What a joke!
You, Ma Xiang Yun, are the one
who should be kneeling before my Imperial Father and Mother!
Even if you knelt
it would not erase your lifetime of sin!
What goes around comes around
Retribution will come one day!
Who is she? what is she talking about?
Who are you?
How come every word you've said
I can't understand
Lu Qiao, who is she?
Why does she accuse me of a lifetime of sin?
Niang Niang, please don't be agitated
Ma Xiang Yun
What trick are you playing again?
I'm not lying to you
All of the past
I've really forgotten everything
If you don't believe it
you can ask Lu Qiao
Since you left Northern Han,
Niang Niang
completely lost her memory.
talking about it
These years,
all the hardship Niang Niang suffered
were bestowed upon her by you, Princess.
Even this leg,
which is crippled,
was indirectly caused by you.
Ma Xiang Yun
You think that pretending to lose your memory
can completely erase
all your past crimes?
Your maid is even smarter
covering up your crimes with excuses
and blaming it on me.
sister
Xiang Yun
If I really
wronged you in any way,
I now apologize for my crimes.
Sister
Everything from the past
I've really forgotten.
Exactly what
kind of woman was I in the past?
Why do you and Lian Cheng
both hate me so much,
and hate seeing me?
Niang Niang
Your body is weak
Please get up
Even if this Concubine Di
is Princess Fu Ya,
you don't need to make
such grand gestures to apologize.
What an affectionate pair of master and servant
You were the one
who tricked me.
And you, remember Hong Xiu?
Just because she witnessed your master's
small mistake,
she died a violent and tragic death by caning.
Hong Xiu contradicted master
Death cannot atone for her crime
Besides, so many years have already passed
There's no proof
Princess, don't falsely accuse
our Niang Niang!
Whether it's a false accusation
you know very well.
Sister
I really don't understand
why you hate me so much.
Who is Hong Xiu?
Did I kill her?
I really don't remember anything!
I won't be deceived by you again.
Sister
I've really turned a new leaf
If you don't believe me,
I will apologize to you right now.
I kowtow for you
Niang Niang
Empress, please get up
Niang Niang
You've already taken too long
inside Hong Luan palace.
I'm afraid that the Emperor will be coming soon
Then,
if you're caught violating his order,
things might get difficult.
Niang Niang, don't cry
Since they won't welcome us,
let's leave early.
Did she really break her leg?
Princess
A married woman's heart is most poisonous
You can't be so soft-hearted
and fall into this cheap woman's trap again.
I didn't think that Concubine Di
would really be Ma Fu Ya.
If we had known this earlier,
we should have poisoned Princess Di Lian to death
when she entered the palace.
But since we've already met,
if we poison her now,
it would draw suspicion.
No, poisoning is a wise move
But not on her,
on me.
Niang Niang
What do you mean?
Quickly get the imperial doctor
Niang Niang, what is this...
Niang Niang!
Quickly get the imperial doctor!
The Empress has fainted!
Empress!
Get up
How is the Empress?
Reporting to Empress Dowager,
Empress has an acute case
of poisoning,
stagnation of energy flow and chest pain.
Extremely unbearable, worse than death
Lu Qiao!
How did you take care of your master?
Reporting to Empress Dowager, Niang Niang...
Lu Qiao, don't speak any nonsense
Niang Niang
Someone has harmed you to the verge of death
Why still be considerate of her?
Are you going to wait until after death
and tell the king of Hell?
Who would be so bold,
to harm the current Empress?
Reporting to Empress Dowager,
this disaster was all caused by Concubine Di's
cup of tea.
Tea?
But Concubine Di
is confined to Hong Luan palace.
How could she harm you?
This was a coincidence
Niang Niang's beloved kite
fell into Hong Luan palace,
but the cheap servants in that palace
snatched it and wouldn't return it.
They also destroyed it before me
Servants taking advantage of master?
Moreover,
those servants of Concubine Di
acted so righteous.
Our Niang Niang was terribly mistreated
Those cheap servants
were disrespectful towards Niang Niang.
This...this must have been
under Concubine Di's direction.
This Concubine Di is too arrogant!
Empress Dowager, Concubine Di is none other
than
Princess Ma Fu Ya of the last Chu dynasty.
She must have come
to seek revenge on Niang Niang.
What?
Empress Dowager
Our Niang Niang is so pitiful
That Ma Fu Ya
ignored Niang Niang's handicap
and forgot everything
from the past.
She only remembers falling off a cliff
so she used a cup of tea
to poison our Niang Niang!
Empress Dowager
Concubine Di deliberately plotting
to harm the Empress
has already created a buzz among the imperial court and the people.
I sincerely ask Your Highness to put Concubine Di to death.
I think it's strange
that you officials
care so much about my family affairs.
Is the court
lacking official state affairs?
The emperor's family affairs are also national affairs
For the friendship of the two kingdoms,
if we don't put Concubine Di to death,
Chu Kingdom
will not
let this matter go.
Then what if I refuse?
Subjects sincerely ask Your Highness to put Concubine Di to death!
You all listen to me
From now on,
whoever mentions killing Concubine Di,
I'll kill him first.
...
You asked me to wear this
Where are we going?
You'll know when you get there
Do you still remember
back then when I asked you to
show me around Chu Kingdom,
and you said
you would go through fire and water for me?
Are you still willing to now?
I never go back on my word
I would not hesitate to go through fire and water
for a close friend.
Empress Dowager arrives!
Mother
I didn't know Empress Dowager was coming
Please excuse me for not personally welcoming you
No need to kneel
If the Emperor sees you kneel,
his heart will ache.
Thanks Empress Dowager
You are indeed beautiful enough to cause the downfall of a nation.
And now you cause the downfall of the Emperor.
But your vixen charms
will not cause my downfall,
Princess Ma Fu Ya
Imperial mother's visit to Hong Luan Palace
is for what purpose?
I came to ask Concubine Di
You've harmed my daughter-in-law,
and now you're bewitching the Emperor into taking a trip with you?
Imperial Mother
The trip
was my idea.
Concubine Di did not bewitch me
And Xiang Yun was not necessarily poisoned
by Concubine Di.
Cheng er
You are now already
her lips and tongue.
You trust her
Why should I
also trust her?
Because
I'm the ruler of the kingdom.
So, I know how to read people.
Fine
Ma Fu Ya is an expert in medicine
There's a fine line between medicines and drugs.
Even if you didn't poison her,
for sentiment and reason,
you should visit the poisoned empress
at Jiao Huang palace.
No she shouldn't!
You didn't poison her
The act of healing is an act of kindness.
But the person who framed her
wouldn't think the same way.
If she goes to visit the Empress
the people there will think that she
is there because of a guilty conscience.
Thus they will mistakenly label
her as the culprit.
What good reasoning.
To make new faces smile,
while ignoring the tears of older faces.
As the Kingdom's Monarch
you should speak more cautiously.
Imperial mother's lesson is right
but this is no joking matter.
I promised to
take Concubine Di to admire the plum blossoms in the snow.
So of course I must abide by my promise.
Concubine Di, let's go.
Don't you believe that she
no longer has any recollection of the past?
Why prevent me from going to heal her?
She's the Empress,
naturally I will order people to heal her.
But I didn't want you to go and be subject to
insults and anger.
This was all my negligence,
I shouldn't have let her into Hong Luan Palace
and cause you all this trouble.
This wasn't your fault,
I don't want to cause you bother either.
The Empress Dowager already sees me as foe.
I don't wish to be the cause of
a rift between you and your mother.
Us mother and son
have never been on good terms.
Thoughout my growing up
she's treated me as
a tool in her struggle for power.
For the sake of competing for the throne,
there's no resource she wouldn't exhaust.
Fu Ya, you were also the child of Royalty.
Surely you understand my sufferings.
I don't want to live my entire life
as someone else's puppet.
Forget it,
let's not dwell on such unhappy matters.
I brought you here today
to show you something very important.
What is it?
Open this and see.
Why have you still kept these?
Over the last few years
these have been my only tie
and my only hope.
Lian Cheng,
you shouldn't be this invested in your feelings.
I'm not as great as you perceive me to be.
I'll speak with you honestly,
I did previously believe
Xiang Yun truly transformed into a better person,
just like you.
But it looks to me now
that I was wrong.
Don't you worry.
I won't let her harm you again,
absolutely not.
Milady, how are you feeling?
Milady.
Don't worry.
I will hang on until Ma Fu Ya
is beheaded.
Milady, don't worry,
the letters you wrote for home in Chu Kingdom
have already been sent out by me.
I believe that in not too long
your Imperial father will send a reply.
Lu Qiao, I'm stuggling to breathe.
Milady, milady.
Quickly go report to the Empress Dowager.
Tell her that I
will no longer be able
to be her filial daughter-in-law.
I will go. I will go.
All of you must
take proper care of the Empress.
I'm going to the Empress Dowager
to send a report.
The Empress is not going to make it.
Yes.
She's been poisoned?
That's right.
What kind of poison?
Wait until I've done some experiments
for me to know the result.
Who are you? Who are you?
Grim reaper.
You've already got one foot in the doorway to Hell.
What a hard life that child has led
and now she's faced with another calamity.
Which is why she had to see you for one final time.
Alright, no need to follow any further.
Yes.
I do not believe
that someone so young
cannot out live an old lady like me.
No, I don't want to die.
I don't want to die.
Emperor, save me.
Save me, Emperor!
Who poisoned you?
Empress Dowager has arrived.
Emperor what are you doing?
Milady, are you alright?
Imperial mother. . .
Imperial mother,
the Emperor brought someone to kill me.
Emperor, do you want the Empress killed?
I don't want to kill her.
I want her saved.
Tell me, why have you brought this person
to the Empress' bed chamber in the night?
Didn't I already tell you?
I'm here to save her.
Save her?
Does saving people involve such a murderous air?
Besides, the Empress' palace
is not a place any person can freely enter.
This person harbors sinister thoughts.
Can people like him
even be able to save the Empress?
Didn't Imperial mother want me to save her?
I'll of course do so.
However,
I want to help concubine Di
clear her name.
Hence I had to seek out
Northern Han's finest doctor.
Cheng Er,
did you think that my wisdom is lacking
and that my eyes do not see clearly?
This vile spawn
is the son born from that slut.
Observe the expression in his eyes as he looks at me.
It is exactly the same as his mother's.
Cheng Er what great audacity you have.
Before, I had the entire nation on the hunt for him.
Yet you sheltered him.
What? You bring him here today
to demand my life?
Poisonous hag, not only are you not a moron,
you also have great powers of observation.
You're right
I am that vile spawn you wanted to exterminate by all possible means back then.
What? Seeing me alive, are you scared?
Crazy felon!
How dare you speak so insolently to the Empress Dowager!
How dare you draw a sword before me!
Trying to kill the emperor?
Servant wouldn't dare
Old witch, I didn't die
so I can come take your life.
Back then,
however you poisoned my mother to death,
I want you to die the same way.
What a filial emperor!
keeping this vile spawn alive
He's not vile spawn
He's my imperial brother
Imperial brother?
Cheng er, you dare betray me?
I want you to know
that to guarantee your throne,
I am capable
of doing anything.
Imperial Mother
I will never betray you
You can rest assured and be your Empress Dowager
I won't let Lian Xi harm you
But at the same time,
I hope that you won't harm Lian Xi either.
Little brother, are you happy?
Yes, faster!
Xi er
Quickly get down
How could you ride on the crown prince?
How inappropriate. Quickly get down.
It's no problem
Lian Xi's my only brother
As long as he's happy
You two...
Reporting to Milady, very bad news
The Empress framed your brother for treason
Your entire family is to be killed
Right now,
she's heading over with imperial guards to capture Milady.
Your Highness Crown Prince
Rong Yi is not afraid of death
but your brother is still young.
He can't die unjustly
I'm begging you, please save him!
Mother, don't cry
Don't cry
Rong Yi, don't worry. I will protect my little brother well.
Rong Yi thanks your highness
Everyone in Concubine Rong's palace
is to be executed on the spot!
Don't let anyone go!
Yes!
Crown Prince, I leave Xi er with you
Quickly leave. Quick!
Milady
The Empress came so quickly
You just finished wiping out my maternal family
and now you rush here to kill me.
Your elder brother maintained his own armyand defied orders from the government
with plans to usurp power.
If I don't kill you traitors,
should I instead wait for you to come
take my head?
Slow
Empress
I know. Even if I beg you,
you wouldn't agree to it.
But Rong er still must say it
I beg Niang Niang to have mercy
Let that poor child of mine
Lian Xi go.
Find the vile spawn of this slut. Kill him!
Yes
Faster!
Little brother, this is a bag of golden leaves
Take it. Run in that direction.
Don't ever come back again.
I don't want to!
I want to go back and find my mother!
Take her with me!
You can't. Brother Xi
Listen
Your mother is already dead
I wanted to save you
so I brought you here.
You have to escape quickly!
I don't want to! Without mother
and big brother,
what will I do? What will I do in the future?
Cry! The killers are catching up to you.
What's the use in crying?
Listen, winner takes all
If you want to live, then you no longer have the right to cry
Brother
Stop your tears
Tears are for the weak and defeated
Ok, I won't cry. Brother, I want to keep living.
That's what a man should do
Starting today, Xi er won't shed a single tear
I want to keep living. Live to see you again,
and avenge mother's death!
That's my good brother
Brother, I promise I won't cry anymore. No one can make me cry.
One day, I will come back alive to visit you,
and see my enemy cry!
Sorry
I didn't think we would run into her
It will happen sooner or later
You can't prevent it
Are you thinking of your mother?
Cry if you want to
Do I still have the right to cry?
Ever since that day you taught me,
I always kept in mind that crying
is for the weak and the defeated.
After joining the Black Dragon Society,
I learned to harm people with poison
and kill people for joy.
Now everyone's lives
are in my hands.
What do I have to cry for?
Brother
You are after all made of flesh and blood
Any human
would have emotions.
I'm not human
With emotions
comes conscience.
So I can't be human
I want to be heartless and emotionless
This way,
I can kill people as I please
and take revenge.
I know
My mother is your mortal enemy
But think about me
I really don't wish
for there to be so much hatred
between you and my mother.
If it could reduce
an iota of hatred
between you and my mother,
I'm willing to do anything
to fix it.
Too late
She forced my mother to die
Ths irreconcilable hatred
is already set in stone.
Brother, don't make it difficult for me anymore
Don't impose this on yourself anymore
I already said
in this world, I only know you.
Only you
Fu Ya
You still want to see him?
I don't want to deceive you
He and I are already in love
When I fell off the cliff that year,
he was the one who saved me.
All these years,
he was the one who charged through
life and death catastrophes with me one after another.
He's kind, loving, and fair to me.
You and him?
Then what about me?
What if I want to kill him?
I would follow him to the afterlife
For your lover,
Fu Ya, you indeed emphasize both affection and comradery.
Don't worry
Either in public or private,
I won't kill Meng Qi You.
Then what do you plan to do with him?
Imprison him for a lifetime?
Meng Qi You is a great enemy of my Northern Han
Not killing him is already being merciful
As for how long he'll be imprisoned,
that depends on the circumstances.
Then
when can I see him?
Emperor!
Bad news
This time it's life-threatening!
What happened?
Emperor, Concubine Di
News of the Empress's poisoning
has already reached Chu Kingdom.
The Chu Emperor is furious
I heard he already sent the ambassador
with a letter
demanding that your majesty kill Concubine Di!
No...the murderer.
Damn
I haven't even charged her for the crime of framing you,
yet she came to harm you first.
Xiao An Zi, in the future, such muddy affairs
are not to be reported in Hong Luan Palace,
to avoid disturbing Concubine Di's quiet.
Xiao An Zi obeys your order
Don't worry
Even if the sky collapses, I will support it
Ma Xiang Yun came for me
I just don't believe
she would deploy rescue troops on such a grand scale
to eliminate me, Princess from the last dynasty,
if she really lost her memory.
Milady
Your Imperial Father
has already quickly dispatched an ambassador here.
The spy's secret report says
he wants you to rest and recuperate well.
Before the Han court, our ambassador
will certainly force the Emperor
to kill Ma Fu Ya.
Good. This is great.
Reporting to Milady, Concubine Di is here
I came to help
the Empress take her pulse.
You can all retreat
Lu Qiao, invite her to sit
Concubine Di is known
for her god-like medical skills,
but I don't think
she is all that brilliant.
Milady, let servant
summon the imperial doctor for you.
Don't be impolite
The Empress
has indeed been poisoned.
But this congenital internal toxin
was triggered by deliberate use of poison.
But of course
You did it
Lu Qiao
The Empress's poison can only be treated
with medicine between 11 and 1 tonight.
I will come to treat you then
Whether you eat it or not is up to you
So do you have a conclusion?
It's because she took poison...
She took poison to reactivate
the congenital toxins she previously had under control.
How do you know?
Aside from you,
I have another
highly skilled doctor.
Someday I'll introduce you
You two will definitely hit it off
Isn't she coming around midnight?
Why is she going back on her word?
Lu Qiao!
Lu Qiao
Master, have a bowl of pickled plum soup
to relieve your innate toxins and internal heat.
You...you're Hong Xiu?
Aren't you dead? Don't come over!
Master, drink your pickled plum soup
When you're done,
you can hit the road with me.
No. You can't blame me
You're just unlucky
that you saw me fall from the stage,
so I had to put you to death.
You're already dead!
Why did you come back here?
Master, Hong Xiu really misses her family
Quickly finish your pickled plum soup
and bring Hong Xiu's ghost spirit back home.
Alright
I will find someone to chant prayers for you to be reincarnated
I...
I remember you're from Yingzhou
I will
have someone bring your ashes
back to your hometown to be buried.
Don't come looking for me anymore!
Didn't master lose her memory?
Still remember Hong Xiu is from Yingzhou?
You treat human life as if it weren't worth a straw
No wonder you can't sleep at night
Ma Fu Ya
You dare falsely incriminate me! You!
If it weren't for Fu Ya's clever plot,
how would you show your true form?
Vile woman!